Monday, October 22, 2007

One of the very cool thing about writing for Harlequin Romance is seeing titles come out in a variety of languages. Every so often we're going to be showing some of the translations just before they are released, and today I'm going to put up just a few of the great romances coming out in the international market right now.

Friday, October 12, 2007

The October releases are truly being lauded as WONDERFUL! We thought it would be fun to post some of the great things people are saying about this month's books.

Millionaire to the Rescue - Ally Blake

5 stars - CataRomance"Millionaire to the Rescue (5) is a beautifully written story of an unrequited love finally coming true after so many years. I enjoyed all of the characters in this book, they were so larger than life that it was like I knew them all personally. Danny and Brooke were the quintessential star crossed lovers... Overall my experience with this book had me laughing, crying and enjoying each and every second of it."

4 1/2 stars - Romantic Times"Ally Blake's Millionaire to the Rescue (4.5) has a solid plot with a built-in conflict and features two well-handled characters with a lot of chemistry."

Her Pregnancy Surprise - Susan Meier

4 1/2 stars, Cataromance "Susan Meier builds her engaging story, HER PREGNANCY SURPRISE, with expertise, providing so many obstacles for her leading characters that there seems to be no hope for their romance to survive. But then her heroine, Grace, is given such consistency and compassion that she is able to break down each barrier. And Danny finally comes to terms with his demons and realizes what he is about to loose. HER PREGNANCY SURPRISE by favorite romance author Susan Meier is a “hold your breath” read that will delight all readers."

4 1/2 stars, Romantic Times"Jackie Braun winds up Secrets We Keep with Found: Her Long-Lost Husband(4.5), a wonderfully written tale with excellent characterizations, greatdialogue and a surplus of sizzle."

And one more important mention: Romance author Natasha Oakley's offering in the NIROLI miniseries is out this month! It's not technically a Romance since the Niroli series is really Presents, but she IS one of ours and is a wonderful testament to the power of emotional, traditional romance! Her book in the series, The Tycoon's Princess Bride scored a 4 1/2 and a TOP PICK at Romantic Times:

"Natasha Oakley's beautifully crafted story shimmers with emotion. The Tycoon's Princess Bride (4.5), the newest addition to the Royal House of Niroli series, is a terrifically poignant tale about looking beneath the surface to the soul and recognizing your soul mate."

Monday, October 08, 2007

This month's spotlight features Jackie Braun, author of Found: Her Long Lost Husband. Let's get right to the questions, shall we????

After writing so many books, where do you find new and fresh ideas? I’m currently working on books 16 and 17 and, honestly, I have no ideas where my stories come from. It’s one of the great mysteries. Ideas just pop into my head, usually when I don’t have a pen handy or access to a computer. Often, I get the idea for a character first and then find myself fleshing out his/her life and what challenges he/she might face, etc.

Writers often use photos of celebrities as “casting”. Do you do this, and who has inspired some of your characters?

Generally speaking, I don’t do this because then I start thinking of that celebrity’s speech patterns, mannerisms, etc. For my heroes I have been inspired by celebrities’ looks on occasion. I had a character with a Dennis Quaid grin and another with a Brad Pitt jaw, for example. I have loosely -- and I mean very loosely -- based a couple of female characters on celebrities. I started thinking about how people think they “know” these celebrities. What if these people were misunderstood and not at all like what the public perceived? How hard would it be to live down an image under those circumstances? Tempest Herriman, my heroine in the novella “Sex, Lies and a Security Tape” in the book titled EXCLUSIVE! is a Paris Hilton-type, or so she seems. Perception is one of the issues the hero has to overcome for their relationship to work. Likewise, Audra Conlan in A WOMAN WORTH LOVING, the first book in my Conlans of Trillium Island trilogy, is a wannabe actress who had been married to a much older wealthy man who dies and leaves her everything. In the opening scene she’s being strangled nearly to death by her stepson, who is upset about losing his inheritance. Anna Nicole Smith was sued by her late husband’s son rather than nearly killed, but her story (before her tragic death) was a bit of an inspiration for me. Audra was so flawed, so damaged. I wanted to explore how someone like her could rise above her very public past, heal and find redemption.

What are your favourite and least favourite parts of writing a novel? Is there a particular section that you struggle with?

Are you kidding? I struggle with the beginning, the middle and the end of each book! But I absolutely love it when my characters surprise me. When they take off in a direction I didn’t anticipate and I’m forced to scurry after them, those days are wonderful, exhilarating. The worst days are those when I can spend an entire morning at a computer and my characters refuse to come to life. They remain words on paper rather than interesting individuals with conflicts and quirks I want to explore.

When you are not writing, what do you do? How do you pamper yourself? When I’m not writing fiction, I’m often doing freelance or reviewing children’s books for local newspapers. I’m also a mom. I have a seven-year-old son (and a toddler on the way via international adoption), so I’m busy around the house. I like to putter in my flowerbeds and take bubble baths. I just got some new lavender-scented bath stuff that promises relaxation. Sounds good to me!

Imagine you’re stranded…where are you and who are you with?

Stranded, eh? Hmm, it would have to be with my hubby. He’s the only one I’d wanted to be stranded anywhere with. He’s a pretty smart and resourceful guy. Sexy, too. We spent our honeymoon in Aruba way back when and had a ball lying on the beach and doing next to nothing, so a Caribbean island holds appeal. But can we be stranded in a luxury resort with room service? Now, that’s a fantasy.

Finally, Jackie, please tell us what’s up and coming for you in the months ahead!

Well, I have the last book in the Secrets We Keep trilogy, out in October. It’s titled FOUND: HER LONG-LOST HUSBAND. Liz Fielding wrote the first book, REUNITED: MARRIAGE IN A MILLION, which came out in August. Barbara Hannay’s NEEDED: HER MR. RIGHT was the second book and it came out in September. It was a thrill to work with Liz and Barbara. They are both gifted and generous writers. To recap briefly, our three heroines meet during a charity bike ride through the Himalayas and wind up sharing their secrets, things that have held them back from being happy and fulfilled. In my character’s case, she married young in an attempt to get out from underneath her father’s thumb. The marriage crumbled quickly as a result of secrets and lies, but in addition to feeling guilty about using Ethan Seaver, Claire’s always secretly wondered … what if?

I also have MOONLIGHT AND ROSES coming in January. When wealthy California vintner Zack Holland buys the vineyard Jaye Monroe helped her late father start, she never imagines she’ll also lose her heart to him. EXPECTING A MIRACLE is due out in April. Pregnant and alone, Lauren Seville is looking for peace in the Connecticut countryside. She finds much more than that when she meets Gavin O’Donnell.

Tuesday, October 02, 2007

Fall is in the air - the days are turning cool - and what better time to curl up with a great book??? This month sees some great offerings coming your way from the Harlequin Romance line.

Married for a day…

Claire Mayfield met Ethan Seaver when she was young and naive. Their whirlwind romance ended in a Las Vegas wedding. It was supposed to be the first day of the rest of their lives together.…

In love for a lifetime…

But secrets and lies tore them apart all too soon, and years later their marriage is a distant memory. Or at least it should be. But Claire has never forgotten Ethan's passion for life, or the way he made her feel. She sets out to find her long-lost husband, and just maybe change their lives forever. Read Excerpt

From playboy to parent!

Watching her tiny daughter sleeping cradled in her arms, Grace knows she would do anything for her. Even if it means meeting with the man who broke Grace's heart—the man who doesn't even know he has a child....

Danny Carson is Grace's former boss, and he's as gorgeous and brooding as ever. Little does he realize a business trip that turned into a whirlwind affair had a surprising consequence!

Brooke Findlay visited agent Daniel Finch, only for him to tell her that her famous and once wealthy late husband had squandered everything. She and the kids were left with nothing.

Danny came to their rescue, giving them a home in his luxury mountain estate. Brooke was shocked to discover the intense attraction simmering between them. It was clear Danny had feelings for her, but after all the heartache she'd been through—her husband's lies, affairs, secrets—would she ever be able to trust a man again? Even a man as gorgeous and honorable as Danny? Read Excerpt

The French duke's contract bride!

Lance Malbois, Duc du Lac: a hardened military man with a scar that crosses his cheek—and reaches right to his heart. But all he wants is to hold a child in his arms and be called 'Daddy.'

Andrea Fallon: pregnant, widowed and alone, she's determined to give her baby the father and family she never had.

Polly Hanson must go to Naples to find Ruggiero Rinucci, and what she has to tell him will surely end his bachelor ways—he is the father of her late cousin's baby! But nothing quite prepares Polly for Ruggiero's reaction…

Outwardly he's a carefree playboy; inwardly he once loved so passionately it nearly broke him. Polly wants to help him, yet she feels forever in her cousin's shadow. Can plain Polly tame this wild Italian's heart…? Read Excerpt

Forty days till Christmas…can they open their hearts in time?

Kirsten Morrison runs the Secret Santa Society and loves making others happy. Although she knows opening your heart can be painful, her secret wish is to find a special man to share Christmas with.… Volunteering to wrap children's gifts isn't something Michael Brewster would normally do. But, facing his first Christmas alone, he finds himself on Kirsten's doorstep.

As they work together, an undeniable attraction flares between them. Is a kiss under the mistletoe the start of their Christmas wish come true? Read Excerpt